A winter warming spell continues Friday as Orange County wraps up the workweek, with inland highs again reaching for the 80-degree mark, the National Weather Service says.

But the warm, dry weather that has dominated much of the week, pushing several inland cities into the low 80s Thursday, must make room for thickening clouds through the weekend.

And colder weather could return by Thursday, possibly bringing rain along with it by this time next week.

It's the usual story of high- and low-pressure air. High pressure over the region has been driving the warming, but high clouds filtering in this weekend will be the work of a low-pressure system moving in from the southwest.

Stronger low pressure expected late next week is prompting predictions of a turn toward the cold.

For now, the postcard weather continues.

Monday looks mostly sunny and 75 to 80 inland, 65 to 70 on the coast.

Saturday through Thursday should be partly cloudy, and while temperatures retreat a little, we should stay mostly in the 70s through early next week.

Inland highs should be 76 Saturday, 74 to 79 Sunday, 72 to 77 Monday and 67 to 72 Tuesday.

On the coast it's 64 to 69 Saturday, 68 to 73 Sunday, 66 to 71 Monday and 62 to 67 Tuesday.

Wednesday still looks fairly mild – 63 to 68 inland, 61 on the coast – as low pressure approaches from the Gulf of Alaska.

Then Thursday's highs dip noticeably into the 59 to 64 range.

The long-range look suggests a chance for rain Friday and Saturday.

Despite recent rains, Orange County and the rest of Southern California remain well behind in rainfall.

Santa Ana saw 4.3 inches of rain from July 1 to Jan. 31, the Weather Service says, though the 30-year normal amount is 7.28.

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